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Glossybox Advent Calendar review: the Christmas countdown beauty enthusiasts are lusting after

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GLOSSYBOX'S Advent calendar is one of the most popular beauty Advent calendars on the market, and shoppers flock to buy it every year.

It has even been known to sell out due to popular demand, but I managed to get my hands on it early enough to write a Glossybox Advent Calendar review.

Where to find-in stock Advent calendars

This year's calendar retails for £85, though can get it for £70.

However, whether you're a Glossybox subscriber or not you'll be in for a saving, as this bundle contains £585 worth of beauty products.

If you are a non-subscriber you will save £500, and if you are a Glossybox Beauty Box subscriber you'll be saving a massive £515.

As you'd expect from Glossybox, the calendar contains a medley of make-up, bodycare, haircare, fragrance, home scents and skincare from premium brands.

Glossybox subscribers can secure priority access and bag the calendar on 9th September, two days before it goes on general sale for non-subscribers.

Luckily, I managed to pull some strings and get my hands on this year's Glossybox advent calendar in advance of the launch date to see how it compares to previous years, as well as other rival beauty advent calendars.

The Glossybox advent calendar features two drawers containing boxes filled with beauty delights, as well as a top section to access by lifting the lidCredit: Maisie Bovingdon

Pros:

  • Save £500 or more (depending on if you're a Glossybox beauty box subscriber)
  • More affordable than other beauty advent calendars
  • Range of make-up, skin, hair and body care
  • A medley of big brands
  • Mix of full and deluxe size products
  • 29 products
  • No duplicate products

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Cons:

  • Heavy
  • Drawers are hard to pull out to reach the boxes near the back, without pulling out the entire drawer
  • A few travel size products are in large boxes
  • The selection of colours is questionable, and I would prefer timeless neutral tones

Rating: 4.5/5

Glossybox Advent Calendar review: how I tested

Ever since I was a child I've loved advent calendars — specifically a chocolate filled box from Galaxy, Celebrations, or Maltesers.

While I still love a sweet treat every day across December, as a beauty journalist I am fortunate enough to supplement those edible delights with beauty products.

Over the years I have been able to test an endless array of beauty products including make-up, skincare, haircare, hair tools, bodycare, treatments and beauty advent calendars — Glossybox included.

Usually I am quite good at refraining from taking a sneak peek at the doors behind an advent calendar, or the presents under a tree.

However, my job encourages me to preview new releases, as well as the contents of beauty advent calendars, ahead of their official release, and I'm not complaining.

Ahead of the general sale I (quite literally) lifted the lid on the Glossybox beauty advent calendar, to uncover the products waiting behind all 25 boxes, and see for myself if this year's calendar is worth it.

I noted the products included, any duplications, the brands featured, any new items or bestselling products included, as well as the design and structure of the advent itself.

Other beauty advent calendars with over 24 products inside can cost well over £100, but comes in at the more affordable end of the scale, which is a huge bonus.

While £85 (or £70 for subscribers) is not the largest sum for a beauty advent calendar, I still want to make sure you are investing your money wisely.

So, without further ado, read on for my honest review of the Glossybox beauty advent calendar 2024.

Glossybox Advent Calendar review: quick summary

The Glossybox beauty advent calendar is one of the more affordable Christmas countdowns, and I've got to say it's one of my favourites.

I have received the calendar for a number of years, but this year's edition is hands down bigger and better than any I have seen before.

Unsurprisingly it's larger than a standard chocolate advent, and quite heavy, though it is more compact than other pop-out beauty calendar designs.

The top lid, as well as the two drawers, can close shut so it looks neat when on display.

The bundle includes a mix of 29 full size and travel size items across all beauty categories and brands, which is pretty impressive.

Admittedly 29 products is a bit of a random number, but I won't complain as the majority of the products are premium, and, it means shoppers receive more than one gift on select days.

The bundle retails for what I consider to be an affordable £85, especially when I how many beauty items are inside, and the quality of those products, as well as the design itself.

The fact subscribers can save a further £15 on this advent calendar, which takes the total price to £70, scores it another brownie point in my books.

The total contents equals the same as Lookfantastic's beauty advent calendar, but retails for less, and includes some of the same items, which are additional noteworthy factors.

Do I think it is worth it? Absolutely, yes.

Glossybox Advent Calendar review: full review

First impressions

​I get excited for the winter season purely because of the onslaught of advent calendars that launch.

But that is the epitome of Christmas, right? It's gift giving season — even if it is a bundle of beauty products to yourself.

After years of opening Glossybox's beauty advent calendar every year my expecations are high, but for 2024 the retailer has truly upped the ante.

With 29 products promised my first impressions were good, but would the products deliver and continue the high precedent set?

The calendar itself has been beautifully designed with a pastel gradient and flecks of glitter, which is uber chic, but arguably, not the most festive design.

The exterior is a recurring theme matching previous years, if memory serves me right.

While it is a pretty aesthetic, other calendars transform into pop-out Christmas villages like or are designed with opulent colour palettes. But not Glossybox.

Pushed to find fault on first impressions, it would be this.

Having said that, the aesthetic is consistent and by no means offensive — I'd be happy it have it out in my home throughout December.

Plus, it is a timeless exterior, which can be reused as a vanity case during the rest of the year.

It is weighty, though, and can take up a chunk of room as the lid opens up and the drawers pull outwards. (However, when shut closed, it's fairly compact).

While it felt a bit different opening day one of an advent calendar early September, my rising anticipation got the better of me and the entirety was swiftly opened.

What’s inside the Glossybox Advent calendar?

The 2024 version of the Glossybox advent calendar contains a whopping £585 worth of make-up, skincare, bodycare, fragrance and haircare items, as well as other beauty accessories.

Pull open the pastel printed doors and you will find 29 beauty essentials — more than many competitors — which can be divided into 18 full size and 11 deluxe size items

Some may wonder if the calendar continues after 25th December because of the four extra items, but what it means is the calendar contains four duo drawers, which house two products instead of one.

The medley of full size and miniature products makes this bundle a great way to sample products you have yet to try, or brands not yet on your radar.

An advent calendar from a beauty retailer like Glossybox, or a department store, helps to secure bestselling items, viral products and exclusive beauty buys that can be near impossible to get hold of.

It also means you can take those smaller versions of products on holiday, or throw them in your bag to take to the office or gym.

The advent calendar features big brands I have tried and tested over the years, from affordable household names like e.l.f and Aveeno to high-end beauty brands including Medik8 and Kate Somerville.

Excitingly, it also contains new releases and exclusive items I've yet to sample.

Day one of Glossybox's beauty advent calendar will delight any skincare enthusiast as it is (spoiler alert!) none other than Medik8's Hydr8 B5 serum, which is super hydrating yet lightweight on the skin, and suitable for all skin types.

The calendar ends on a high, too; behind box 25 is Iconic London's 20-piece eyeshadow palette, which is filled with neutral and warm tones you can wear for day or night.

The eyeshadow palette is a limited edition product exclusive to the advent calendar, feature matte and shimmer textures.

Although the palette is not sold separately, similar palettes from Iconic can retail for £47 and above, which is over half the price of the entire 29-piece calendar — just in case you needed convincing this is a bargain beauty deal.

Sandwiched in between the Medik8 serum and the Iconic eyeshadow palette is a parade of other show-stopping beauty essentials.

Behind box 11 is a full size bottle of Aveeno's Skin Relief, which is soothing and deeply hydrating, yet uber gentle on the skin.

Day 12 is a tad anti-climatic, though; inside a larger box is Avant's 3-1 Hyaluron-Filler Collagen Eye Formula, which is full size, but because it is an eye cream, and a little product goes a long way, it resembles a sample size product overwhelmed by excessive packaging.

Christmas Eve opens its doors to Spectrum's The Brush Club, which is a three piece brush set.

This set is great to help with applying the products included in the Glossybox advent calendar.

While the set is better than including merely a single eyeshadow brush in the advent calendar, like other competitors, I would have liked it slotted in earlier on in December.

There is not too much crossover between products, whereas some advent calendars, make the mistake of featuring numerous blushers or lipsticks.

Instead, Glossybox has been mindful and covered all bases of customers' beauty regime, which I am thankful for.

Having said that, the set includes two eye masks, which are quite similar.

Now, I know these shades are festive and align with the glitz and glam of dazzling Christmas parties or sparkling New Years Eve celebrations.

However, outside of December I consider these shimmery formulas to be out of place.

Truthfully, I would have preferred more timeless shades to wear all year long instead of seasonal, especially as the next time you're likely to wear those glittery make-up products is next Christmas, but by that point the Glossybox beauty advent calendar for 2025 will be released.

Instead, I would have preferred a muted pink-nude, bold red or berry lipstick similar to those included in Charlotte Tilbury's annual advent calendars, or a warm gold, even pearlescent highlighter rather than pure glitter.

I have tried other blushers from Made By Mitchell, which blend seamlessly into the skin, give a natural flush look, and leave a velvet soft finish on the cheeks, which I think would have gone down a storm with Glossybox shoppers.

What's inside the Glossybox Beauty Advent Calendar?

retails for £85 this year for non-subscribers, and £70 for subscribers, but it contains £585 worth of products.

It is important to note there are different Glossybox subscriptions, which range from monthly to annual subscriptions.

So, if you want to secure an extra discount, but don't necessarily want to sign up for a full year subscription, you don't have to.

Glossybox also offers flexible payment methods to suit those who would prefer to pay one upfront fee, or have a rolling subscription, sign up for one month or an entire year.

More importantly, you do not need to have a Glossybox subscription to buy the advent calendar, only if you want to save an extra £15, gain priority access to shop the 29-piece calendar ahead of its official general sale, and receive monthly beauty bundles to your door for the duration of your subscription.

There is no time limit as to when you can sign up to be a Glossybox subscriber, so if you are desperate to get your hands on the Glossybox advent calendar before anyone else, you can still do so before the general sale.

The Glossybox advent calendar goes on general sale on 11th September for non-subscribers, but Glossybox subscribers will be able to shop from 9th September, as long as they have signed up to the .

I have received monthly Glossybox subscriptions for years, which are an expertly curated box of five beauty items inside every month, and are a treat every time the postman comes knocking.

So, if you are on the fence about signing up, and you have the extra cash, why not treat yourself?

Where to buy the Glossybox Advent calendar

The is exclusive to , and you can't buy it anywhere else.

Some of the items inside the bundle can be purchased from other retailers, of course, but many products in the festive hamper are exclusive to this year's Glossybox advent calendar and cannot be purchased anywhere else.

As Glossybox is the only place to shop this advent calendar, it means when it has sold out online, it has gone for good, unless the brand opts to restock it closer to December.

In previous years I have seen some advent calendars re-sell on other websites, such as eBay, Vinted and Depop, but I would urge you to avoid them because you never know if it is legit, or if the products have been tampered with.

So, to be safe shop directly from the Glossybox website.

The verdict: is the Glossybox advent calendar worth it?

The is certainly bigger and better than ever before, and it impressed me more than I thought it would.

In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the best beauty advent calendars to be released this year.

At first I questioned why 29 products were included, but now I have seen the contents it all makes sense, and it has trumped how other brands have curated their advent calendars.

The array of brands included, from high street to high end, means there is something to suit every shopper, no matter the age, style, or experience with beauty products.

While I appreciate Oulac's red shimmer lipstick is nod to the festive season, and I think people could pull off the colour well, I'm not one of them, and would have preferred a timeless and universal shade instead.

Yes, it is a heavy advent calendar, but it is a sturdy design, which can be folded down for those wanting to save space, and reused long after Christmas too.

The packaging may not be the most festive print, but it is still easy on the eye, especially if you want to turn it into your own vanity case come the New Year.

Considering the price, the selection of full size and mini products, Glossybox has outdone itself.

There are other luxury beauty advent calendars to shop, but I highly recommend this bundle for under £100.

GLOSSYBOX Beauty Advent Calendar 2024, £85 (Worth £585)

For more deals, new releases and updates on beauty advent calendars, check out our dedicated shopping beauty page.

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